Improvement in breech-loading fl re-arms



H. BER DAN.

Breach-loading Fire-arm- Patented Janl-O, 1865.

Witnesses'.

www

METERS; FHOTLlTHGGRAFl-IER, WASHINGTON.

lrrn raras artnr rrrcn.

HIRAM BERDAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

AssIGNon rro Lnvr r. MoRToN, 'raus- TEE OF HIRAM BERDAN, ABIA A. SELOVER, AND WVM. B. BENSON, OF

SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING"FIRE-ARMS.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 45,@99, dated January 10, 1865.

To CLZZ' whom it may con/eerie.'

Be it known that I, HIRAM BERDAN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a plan view of my improvement, showing the breech-latch open. Fig. 2 is a side sectional elevation showing the breechlatch closed. Fig. 3 is acrosssectional elevation through the line x a", the breech-latch being open. -1

Similar letters of reference indicate corre-v sponding parts.

One of the objects of this improvement is to facilitate the removal of the shell of the cartridge after it has been exploded in the gun.

Another object of the 'improvement is to completely protect the working parts and surfaces of the breech mechanism from the rain and from the entrance of dirt.

The drawings represent only a portion of a breech-loading gun. The lock, stock, and such portions as are not here represented are to be constructed according to any of fthe known methods commonly practiced by Apersons skilled in the art.

A is the barrel, which may be of any desired form, either rified or smooth bore. The barrel is attached in the ordinary manner to the breech-holder B, the front part of which receives and holds the barrel, and the rear partis intended to fit into and be attached to the gun-stock in the common manner. portion of the breech-holder B which is immediately behind the breech of the barrel is cut out, so as to form an open groove or channel, C, through which, in the act of loading, the cartridge may be pushed, and by which groove the cartridge will be guided directly into the breech of the barrel A. After the insertion of the cartridge, the breech of the barrel is closed by means of a swinging latch D, which consists of a solid block of metal of the form shown, hinged uponone side of the That breeclrholder at a. The sides of the breechholder B are cut out in form corresponding to the form of the latch D, so as to permit the latter to open and shut behind the breech of the barrel, as shown in the drawings. Fig. 2 indicates the position of the latch D when closed, and Figs. 1 and 3 the position when opened. The portion of the breech-holder B in the rear of the latch D supports the latter in the act of tiring. The shell ofthe discharged cartridge is extracted from the breech by means of a longitudinally-sliding ring or eX- tractor, G, which is made quite. thin and'is arranged to stand directly against the rear end of the barrel, as shown in the drawings. In the act of inserting the cartridge the body of the latter is passed right through the ring G. The diameter ofthe ring is such that while the body of the cartridge may pass through it into the barrel A the head or iiange of the cartridge is arrested bythe edges of the ring. The red lines indicate the position of the cartridge-flange within the ring G. The latchD closes directly against the rear face of the ring G, the edge or opening of which is countersunk so that the heador flange ofthe cartridge will it into the ring, flush with the rear face thereof, and thus permit the latch to closel tight against the rear face of the ring and against the head of the cartridge. rIhe front face or edge of the opening in the ring G is also countersunk to receive the projecting edge of the gas-lip d, which projects 'in the usual manner from the rear of the barrel A. Vhen the latch D is closed, the ring G, and with it the head of the cartridge, is pressed rmly up against the rear of the barrel.

The ring G is attached and supported at its lowest part upon a longitudinal slide, H, which moves in a corresponding. groove, I, in the lower part of the breech-holder B, as shown. The slide H is joined to or may be made solid with another slide, H', arranged directly under the slide H, as shown. The slide II moves between {ianges or guides e e on the under part of the breech-holder B, which iianges serve Valso to strengthen the said breech-holder- The rear portion of the slide H is cylindrical and is guided and supported by passing through a ring-guide, f, as shown,

arranged upon the slide H. Between the guide f and the head of the slideis a spiral spring, h, the action of which is to press the slide forward in direction of the arrow. On the upper end of the breech-holder Bthere is a finger-cavity, fe', deep enough to allow the finger to be well introduced against the front upper surface of the ring G, and in order to remove the cartridge-shell it is simply necessary to open the latch D and pull back the ring G with the fingers. The head or flange of the cartridgc-shell being retained within the ring, the cartridge will be withdrawn by the backward movement of the ring, as described. XVhcn the ring is relieved, the spring hI will by self action push forward the slide H', and thus carry the ring G to its place against the rear of the barrel, leaving the projecting cartridge to be removed by hand or to fallout by elevating the muzzle of the gun.

I do not claim, broadly, the use of a sliding shell-extractor. They are usually made to push upon one side of the cartride-shell only, or in the form of a fork, so that they act unevenly upon the flange of the shell and render its extraction difficult. The use of a com plete ring causes the force used in withdrawing the cartridge to be very equally applied to the flange of the shell and renders the removal of the shell very easy.

In most of the breech loading guns the slide or device which carries the cartridge-ex tractor is operated by means of a lever, trigger, or other device, which projects through the breech-holder to the outside thereof to a point where it can be operated. This adds expense and complication to the fire-arm and makes an opening for the rain to enter, which, it will be observed, is wholly obviated in my improvement by the peculiar construction of the cartridge extractor or ring G with a fingerpiece at top and a plate, E, to cover and protect it.

In ordinary breech-loading firearms when a channel is employed to guide the cartridge, its surfaces are exposed to dust and mud, and

much dirt or grit is thus carried forward into the gun by the act of inserting the cartridge. It will further appear that when the muzzle is depressed any water falling into suoli a channel will be conducted through the cavity beneath the latch and will rust the mechanism for extracting the cartridge and opening and closing the breech.

I protect all of the above parts and obviate the above objections by extending from the rear part of the latch D a protecting-cover, I, made of a form to correspond with the external shape of the upper surface of the breechholder B, substantially as shown, and from the front of the said latch a plate, E, which protects the ring G and all the moving parts connected therewith, and the joints between the latch and the barrel. The cover I and plate E or any equivalent thereof attached to or extending in any suitable manner or direction from the breech closer or latch D will cover and protect the cartridge-channel and the surfaces or joints of the parts adjacent to and pertaining to the breech loading or operating mechanism. By the use of these covers those parts of the gun which come into play during the act of loading and withdrawing the cartridge-shell are always maintained in a clean and effective condition, ready for instant use, and there is no liability of the carrying forward of dirt into the barrel by the act of inserting the cartridge.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The protecting-plate E, swinging in a plane transverse to the barrel, in combination with the ring G, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The protecting-cover I and protectingplate E, in combination with the latch D, as herein specied.

HIRAM BERDAN.

Witnesses:

WM. F. MGNAMARA, J. P. HALL. 

